"Predictable, repetitive, boring"
DD1 was incredibly yolo-RNG and it could screw you over endlessly with misses, dodges and just poor RNG. Sometimes you had no say in what was going on.
Initially, I thought DD2 was designed to get around that, with its token system and such. But I was so, so wrong. DD2 is a repetitive "Use this team setup or die" simulator. There are multiple points throughout the game where certain types of abilities are MANDATORY or you are relying entirely on luck. If you try to run novel teams that don't have these SPECIFIC abilities, you just die unless you are very, very lucky.
That makes the game INCREDBILY predictable and very boring. I just cannot bring myself to put any more hours into this. I've put 100+ hours into trying to make this game be fun, but it just isn't. You have zero creativity, zero variability. Honestly you should just read the wiki, use the recommended party for each boss/chapter and trudge your way through it.
There is only ONE way to play the game, and you better like it.
It pains me, a lot, because there's a ton to like about the game. The combat system is fun, the narrator still kicks arse, the visuals are amazing! The problem is that you just cannot explore any of the nuances of the combat systems because 2/3rds of the classes are virtually unusable. The Grave Digger is an absolute JOKE. Why bring her instead of a Highwayman? Each class feels like there was a great idea for the design, but they are woefully mis-tuned for most of the game, and with how much each boss design relies on having specific abilities, you are incredibly limited in what you can bring to a confession.
I'll freely admit that the game disappointed me so hard with how limited it was in confessions I haven't even attempted Kingdoms mode. I just don't want to. I'm so tired of how utterly boring the design is, I just don't feel like giving the game a second chance. I might even go back to DD1, in spite of ragequitting that after like 400+ hours.
You could argue I got my money's worth, seeing as I spent over 100 hours on the game, but it almost feels like a waste of time. The game has so much more to give, but I just don't feel compelled to explore it because its core fundamentals are flawed.
